Retractable cabin hatch for boats



April 11, 1967 c. w. LAPWORTH RETRACTABLE CABIN HATCH FOR BOATS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 22, 1965 INVENTOR. c/mews WILL/AM m woem mm, gaeazazczc April 1967 c. w. LAPV\QI OI'RTH 3,312,990

RETRACTABLE CABIN HATCH FOR BOATS Filed Dec. 22, 1965 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 sar:

IN VEN TOR. 49 (l/4 8465 w/a/AM ZAPWOETH TIE.- .IEE- BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office senses Patented Apr. 11, 1967 3,312,990 RETRACTABLE CABIN HATCH FOR BOATS Charles William Lapworth, 505 30th St., Newport Beach, Calif. 92660 Filed Dec. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 515,689

7 Claims. (Cl. 9-1) The present invention relates generally to the art of boat construction and more particularly to a new and novel retractable cabin hatch for boats.

In the designing of boats and particularly small sailing yachts, it is desirable to provide the main cabin with headroom. The provision of the main cabin with headroom, however, is complicated by the fact that the helmsmans visibility must not be obstructed by a raised structure when the boat is under way. Additionally, where smaller sailing yachts are designed with fixed cabins providing full headroom their appearance leaves much to be desired. It is therefore a major object of the present invention to provide a fully retractable boat cabin hatch which when raised will afford headroom and which when retracted will not interfere with the helmsmans visibility nor detract from the appearance of the yacht.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a retractable boat cabin hatch incorporating an extremely simple yet rugged construction.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a retractable boat cabin hatch which is economical to build whereby it does not add appreciably to the cost of the completed boat.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a retractable boat cabin hatch that may be easily raised and retracted and the parts of which will remain positively locked in position in both a raised and retracted condition.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a three-quarter front perspective view showing a preferred form of retractable boat cabin hatch embodying the present invention, with the parts of such hatch being shown in a raised condition;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the parts of said hatch in a retracted position;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken in enlarged scale along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a broken vertical sectional view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the hatch slide opened;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken in enlarged r scale along line 5-5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a further enlarged broken vertical sectional view showing a detail of construction of said hatch;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view taken in enlarged scale along line 77 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view taken in enlarged scale along line 8-8 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings, a preferred form of retractable cabin hatch H embodying the present invention is shown mounted upon the cabin deck D of a boat over the main cabin thereof. The cabin hatch H is adapted to cover a longitudinal hatch opening 9 defined by a pair of longitudinal side hatch coamings 10 and 12 and a transverse front hatch coaming 14, such hatch coamings eing affixed to the upper surface of the deck D. The rear end of the hatch opening is open.

The hatch H includes a flat front panel generally desi nated 16, an intermediate panel generally designated 18, and a rear slide panel generally designated 20. The panels 16, 18 and 20 assume a generally horizontal position when the hatch H is in a lowered or retracted condition, as indicated particularly in FIGURES 2, 5 and 8. When the hatch H is lifted to its raised position the intermediate panel and rear slide panels 18 and 20 assume a generally horizontal position, while the front panel 16 assumes a forwardly and downwardly inclined position, as indicated particularly in FIGURES l and 3.

More particularly, the front panel 16 includes an upwardly crowned flat sheet 28 from the rear underside of which depends a transverse cross-beam 30. A transverse front cross-beam 32 depends from the underside of the front edge portion of the sheet 28. The front and rear cross-pieces 3t and 32 are connected by side-pieces 34 and 35. As indicated particularly in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the front edge of the front cross-pieces 32 is hingedly connected to the upper surface of the deck D by means of hinges 36 and 38.

The intermediate panel 18 is constructed similarly to the front panel 16 and includes an upwardly crowned flat sheet 40 from the front underside of which depends a transverse cross-piece 42, and from the rear underside of which depends a transverse rear cross-piece 44. A rear rib is afiixed to the rear end of sheet 40. A third transverse cross-piece 46 depends from the underside of the sheet 40 rearwardly of the front cross-piece 42 so as to define a front pocket 47. Cross-pieces 42 and 44 and rib 45 are connected by side-pieces 48 and 49. These side-pieces 48 and 49 extend rearward-1y beyond sheet 40 the length of rear slide 20 and serve to support the latter in a manner fully described hereinafter. A hinge 50 interconnects the underside of the front cross-piece 42 and the rear cross-piece 30 of the front panel 16.

The rear slide 20 includes an upwardly crowned fiat sheet 52. A transverse front cross-piece 54 depends from the underside of the front portion of the sheet 52. As indicated particularly in FEGURES 3, 4 and 5, the rear cross-piece 44 of the intermediate panel 18 is spaced forwardly of the rear edge of the sheet 40 so as to cooperate with the lower front surface of the rear rib 45 to define a rear pocket 58. A rear rib 6i) depends from the underside of the rear portion of the sheet 52. Ribs 54 and are connected by side-pieces 61 and 62. A transverse strip 63 is afiixed to the upper rear surface of the panel 52 to define a finger-hold for eifecting sliding movement of the rear slide panel 20.

With particular reference to FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, the top of side pieces 48 and 49 intermediate hatch 18 carry a pair of generally T-shaped tracks 64 and 66. These tracks slidably receive complementary rails 68 and 70 carried by the underside of side-pieces 61 and 62 of the rear slide 20 whereby the rear slide is supported by such side-pieces of intermediate slide 18. This arrangement permits the rear slide 20 to be moved longitudinally over the intermediate panel 18 from its normal rearwardly eX- tended position shown in FIGURE 3 to its forward position shown in FIGURE 4.

The hatch panels 16, 18 and 20 are supported by a pair of like inverted generally U-shaped support arms generally designated 70 and 72, the front support arm bearing the reference numeral 70 and the rear support arm bearing the reference numeral 72. The lower ends of the side legs 74, and 76, 77 of the support arms 70 and 72, respectively, are pivotally carried 'by front and rear pivot pins 7 8 and aifixed to the inner surfaces of the side hatch coamings 10 and 12. It should be noted that the pivot pins 78 and 80 are spaced apart a longitudinal distance less than the length of the legs 76, 77 of the rear support arm 72. Thus, as indicated in FIGURE 5, when the support arms 70 and 72 are in a lowered posi tion, the lower front surface of the upper portion of the rear support arm 72 will rest upon the upper rear surface of the front support arm 70. With continued reference to FIGURE 5, a transverse retainer 84 is carried by the rear surface of front hatch coaming 32 to support the bight 86 of the front support arm 76) when the two support arms are arranged in a lowered position.

In the operation of the aforedescribed hatch arrangement, at such time as the hatch H is in its lowered or retracted condition, the support arms 70 and 72 will be arranged in the position shown in FIGURES and 8. Thus, the front support arm 70'extends forwardly with its bight 86 resting upon the retainer 84. At this time the legs 74, 75 of the front support arm 70 will be positioned alongside the inner surfaces of the side hatch coamings and 12. The'rear support arm 72 will also extend generally forwardly with the underside of the front portions of the legs 76, 77 resting upon the upper portions of the legs of the front support arm 79. The legs 76, 77 of the rear support arm 72 will also be disposed alongside the inner surfaces of the side hatch coamings 10 and 12. With this arrangement, the support arms 70 and '72 will offer no interference with the usable space within the boat cabin. With'the hatch H in its retracted position the rear hatch slide 26 may be readily slid forward so as to provide access to the cabin.

When it is desired to move the parts of the hatch H to a raised position, the intermediate hatch 18 is lifted upwardly and the support arms 70 and 72 are pivoted clockwise relative to their position of FIGURE 5 until the bights 86 and 87, respectively, of such support arms may be inserted within the front and rear pockets 47 and 48 of panels 18 and 20, respectively. Preferably, these bights will be positively retained within the pockets 47 and 48 by means of elongated lock elements such as cotter keys 90 and 92, respectively, that are slidable into aligned bores 94 and 96 forced in cross-pieces 42 and 46 and 44 and 56, respectively. It is desirable that the cotter keys 90 and 92 be supported by chains 93 and 99, respectively.

If desired, conventional canvas side curtains 100 and 102 may be affixed between the side hatch coamings 10 and 12 and the side pieces 48 and 49 of the panel 18. The space enclosed by panels 16, 18 and and the side curtains 1% and 102 then form an upward extension of the boat cabin which may provide headroom for such cabin.

It should be particularly noted that with the hatch H in its raised position, the rear hatch slide 20 may still be readily moved forward, as indicated by the dotted outline thereof in FIGURES 1 and 3. Thus, ready access to the boats cockpit is provided both when the hatch H is in its retracted position and when the hatch is in its raised position.

To again lower the hatch H to its retract-ed position it is only necessary to withdraw the lock elements 90 and 92 from within their respective bores. intermediate hatch 18 is raised until the bights 85 and 87 of the support arms 70 and 72 may be withdrawn from pockets 27 and 48. The hatch panels may then be lowered to their original horizontal position generally flush with the deck D.

Various modifications and changes may be made with respect to the foregoing detailed description, without de- Thereafter, the

parting from the spirit of the present invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A boat construction that includes:

a generally flat cabin deck formed with a longitudinal hatch opening defined by a pair of longitudinal side coamings and a transverse front coaming;

a front panel having its front end pivotally connected to said front coaming;

an intermediate panel having its front end pivotally connected to the rear end of said front panel;

a rear slide panel that is longitudinally slidably supported by said intermediate panel; 7 V

a pair of like transverse generally U-shaped support arms having a pair of vertical side legs connected by i a horizontal bight;

front and rear pivotpins on aid side coamings at longitudinally spaced points along said hatch opening approximately equal to the length of said intermediate panel;

and pocket means on the underside of said intermediate panel for receiving the bights of said support arms to thereby maintain said intermediate and rear slide panels in a horizontal raised position above said hatch opening with said front panel extending downwardly and forwardly to said front coaming, with said bights being removable from said pocket means whereby said support arms are pivotable downwardly to a horizontal position within said coamings, said panels then being lowerable to a horizontal position covering said hatch opening.

2. A boat construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said intermediate panel includes a pair of sidepieces that extend rearwardly beyond the rear of said intermediate panel and said rear slide panel is slidably supported upon said side-pieces.

3. A boat construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein the length of the side legs of said support arms is greater than the longitudinal distance between said front and rear pivot pins and a retainer engageable by the bight of said front support arm is mounted on said front coaming.

4. A boat construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein lock elements are releasably interposed between said pocket means and the bights of said support legs.

5. A boat construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein the length of the side legs of said support arms is greater than the longitudinal distance between said front and rear pivot pins and a retainer engageable by the bight of said front support arm is mounted on said front coaming.

6. A boat construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein lock elements are releasably interposed between said pocket means and the bights of said support legs.

7. A boat construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein lock elements are releasably interposed between said pocket means and the bights of said support legs.

No references cited.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner. T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BOAT CONSTRUCTION THAT INCLUDES: A GENERALLY FLAT CABIN DECK FORMED WITH A LONGITUDINAL HATCH OPENING DEFINED BY A PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL SIDE COAMINGS AND A TRANSVERSE FRONT COAMING; A FRONT PANEL HAVING ITS FRONT END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FRONT COAMING; AN INTERMEDIATE PANEL HAVING ITS FRONT END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE REAR END OF SAID FRONT PANEL; A REAR SLIDE PANEL THAT IS LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID INTERMEDIATE PANEL; A PAIR OF LIKE TRANSVERSE GENERALLY U-SHAPED SUPPORT ARMS HAVING A PAIR OF VERTICAL SIDE LEGS CONNECTED BY A HORIZONTAL BIGHT; FRONT AND REAR PIVOT PINS ON SAID SIDE COAMINGS AT LONGITUDINALLY SPACED POINTS ALONG SAID HATCH OPENING APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF SAID INTERMEDIATE PANEL; AND POCKET MEANS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID INTERMEDIATE PANEL FOR RECEIVING THE BIGHTS OF SAID SUPPORT ARMS TO THEREBY MAINTAIN SAID INTERMEDIATE AND REAR SLIDE PANELS IN A HORIZONTAL RAISED POSITION ABOVE SAID HATCH OPENING WITH SAID FRONT PANEL EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND FORWARDLY TO SAID FRONT COAMING, WITH SAID BIGHTS BEING REMOVABLE FROM SAID POCKET MEANS WHEREBY SAID SUPPORT ARMS ARE PIVOTABLE DOWNWARDLY TO A HORIZONTAL POSITION WITHIN SAID COAMINGS, SAID PANELS THEN BEING LOWERABLE TO A HORIZONTAL POSITION COVERING SAID HATCH OPENING. 